The Universal Orlando Resort has imposed a curfew for minors visiting its CityWalk shopping and dining district in the evenings.
Visitors under the age of 18 are now required to leave CityWalk at 9pm, unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian, are guests of a Universal Orlando Resort hotel, or are attending a movie at the CityWalk theaters. In addition, all guests under the age of 21 must be accompanied by someone age 21 or older in order to pass through security to enter CityWalk, starting at 9pm, according to Universal.
The new policy comes after a series of fights involving minors last month which led Universal to clear the shopping area. On the west coast, Knott's Berry Farm recently implemented a curfew for minors on weekends after an incident there led to the early closure of the park on a Saturday evening.
So far, the new CityWalk curfew does not extend to the Universal Orlando theme parks - Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure - which close at 9pm or earlier nightly, anyway. The curfew requires unaccompanied teens exiting the parks at closing time to clear CityWalk immediately rather than linger to shop, eat, hang out, or especially recording videos of themselves making trouble for the views on social media. (And let's face it - that's a large force driving the problems on both coasts.)
Many fans have been asking Universal through its social media accounts if the curfew will affect the upcoming Halloween Horror Nights event at Universal Studios Florida, which keeps thousands of guests - including many teens - on property well after midnight. So far, Universal has declined to provide an answer, saying only that more information will be forthcoming closer to the start of the event on September 2.
If I might read between the lines there, so long as people behave at CityWalk and in the parks between now and the start of HHN, unaccompanied teens might continue to be allowed inside the park for Horror Nights. But if there are any more incidents, Universal might consider the equivalent of an NC-17 rating for Halloween Horror Nights this year, requiring adults to accompany any guests ages 17 and under.
Stay tuned.
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Isn't this similar to the curfew in place at USH Citywalk?
I recall hearing the curfew announcement many times at CityWalk.
Very interested to see how this unfolds for HHN. If they actually enforce this for HHN the lines might actually get shorter!
For HHN, Universal will do a "chainsaw chase out" of all underage visitors in CityWalk, starting at 10pm. /s
Sadly free parking after 6pm at City Walk makes it more susceptible to nefarious behavior.
I am 100% against a rule like this for the parks for reasons I won't explain again here after doing it in the Knotts topic, but I can understand why they would do this for City Walk. UO has always tried to ride that line between being a family destination while City Walk also being an alcohol place for adults at night, and with CW being right between the parks and parking garage that is going to make this a nightmare to enforce. I think what would make the most sense is all of the restaurants/bars having someone stationed at the door (like a bouncer) checking ID's.
The decision makes sense. My guess is things are shifting with school starting again. HHN can begin and they will quietly shift things or how they enforce them.
Let the HHN hype begin!
Reminds me of a turning point for Pleasure Island when they did away with "only 18 and older allowed" for fees and such and it got rougher. For a family destination like USO, last thing they want is some kids leaving parks to wander into an escalating altercation so good idea.
USH has a curfew that starts at 10pm daily but by that time the park and Citywalk are already closed, with the exception of the AMC theater. Though it’s always fun seeing the cops and security walk out of the shadows at the stroke of 10 pm.
MikeW, words right out of my mouth. when PI took away the turnstiles and admission fee, the troublemakers multiplied. i always thought that was what doomed the place. but now, after a recent daytime visit to disney springs, i see packed sidewalks, stores and restaurants that were a ghost town during the daytime at PI. oh, and those daytime crowds turn into nighttime ones as well. i finally understand what killed PI. ka-ching, ka-ching.
here's an update on ~the situation~ such as it is: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-bz-universal-orlando-citywalk-curfew-update-20220811-3bktjsqrxffwvi25lz6djcc5si-story.html
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Smart.